And while I know its not what you are 'supposed' to do, but I learned how to properly pop zits, and for me that was (and if I get one these days, still is) always part of the routine - I was/am grossed out by the idea of the puss being inside my skin. I need to physically remove it. I use an extractor, like this http://www.sephora.com/complexion-extractor-with-lance-P0013?skuId=1408418. There are tons of (gross) youtube videos on using one.

Same here. I tend to get zits right on the side of my neck, when I'm about to start my period. If I do not pop them, they just...stay there. I left one alone once and it just stuck around for weeks. I finally popped it, and it healed right away without leaving a mark.

The best (and only!) think I've ever found that works on cystic acne is Renee Rouleau's anti cyst treatment. I have ordered it at great cost from the USA (because not only do I have to pay 20% VAT here, I have to pay an extortionate handling charge to get it) and I would do so again. I save it for cysts only but if it didn't cost me twice the price to get it I'd use it lots more.

We tried everything OTC for my son and finally went with Accutane. I wouldn't recommend it for girls because the side effects for them are horrific if they get pregnant. But for boys, that isn't an issue.

And while I know its not what you are 'supposed' to do, but I learned how to properly pop zits, and for me that was (and if I get one these days, still is) always part of the routine - I was/am grossed out by the idea of the puss being inside my skin. I need to physically remove it. I use an extractor, like this http://www.sephora.com/complexion-extractor-with-lance-P0013?skuId=1408418. There are tons of (gross) youtube videos on using one.

Same here. I tend to get zits right on the side of my neck, when I'm about to start my period. If I do not pop them, they just...stay there. I left one alone once and it just stuck around for weeks. I finally popped it, and it healed right away without leaving a mark.

Yep. Use clean hands and tissues or warm washcloths, which cuts down on infection risk. I'd only advise that for general pimples, though, not acne and definitely not cystic acne (I think those are all separate types, please feel free to correct me if not!).

I was fortunate not to have teenage acne, just the "periodic" pimples. I found the hard way that any kind of toner or cleanser aggravated my skin so I couldn't and still can't use anything like that. It was hard to give up on the idea of using a daily cleanser (shouldn't that improve skin??) but really, if it doesn't help, don't use it. Spot reducers were okay but never seemed to speed the healing. I remember reading in some mag like Glamour or Seventeen that you could use Visine to reduce the redness of a pimple, not sure if that's true or not (or recommended anymore).

On the other hand, my brother had full-out acne, possibly cystic, and did not care for it properly so his back and shoulders always looked like a war zone after wearing sports gear for a season. I think he was eventually on Accutane or some other prescription, but there were other things he needed to do (clean/dry out his gear, change shirts often, etc) to make it most effective and he just didn't.

Do you use fabric softener? Do you make sure to rinse clothes (especially sheets) until the water runs clear? I know if the acne has a different, underlying cause, that won't fix it, but gunk in the fabric can make it worse. My skin got markedly better when I got rid of the fabric softener, switched to vinegar, and began doing an extra rinse/using less soap for each load.

A former coworker's sons had the worst time with acne, and no OTC remedy, dermatologist, or prescription seemed to help. Then serendipity happened! Just for the experience of having done it, he made lye soap with the fat renderings from a hog he'd raised, and added rosemary to part of the batch. He said the boys' faces cleared within a week, and they begged him to make more .

As a soapmaker, I wish I could "like" this post Personally I'd recommend homemade lye soap to anyone with any kind of skin problem. So-called "soap" in the store is usually anything but. For example, here's the ingredients of Dove:

Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar Ingredients:•Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - MSDS fact sheet states, "may be harmful when inhaled, ingested, and if it is absorbed by the skin" and "can cause eye or skin irritation" and "may dry out skin and has no beneficial properties." Yet it's the highest percentage ingredient in Dove.•Stearic Acid - adds hardness and lather.•Sodium Tallowate - saponified beef or pig fat (saponified means turned from fat to soap via lye)•Sodium Palmitate - saponified palm oil•Lauric Acid - Firms the bar and cleanses•Sodium Isethionate - makes a dense lather in addition to the lather made by the soap•Water - a means of dissolving the oxidizer (the thing that combines with the oils to make soap).•Sodium Stearate - saponified stearic acid•Cocamidopropyl Betaine - A surfactant, or detergent•Sodium Cocoate - saponified coconut oil•Sodium Palm Kernelate - saponified palm kernel oil•Sodium Chloride - Salt•Tetrasodium EDTA - a preservative that’s made from the known carcinogens, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide•Tetrasodium Etidronate - used as a water softener in soaps to prevent soap scums and bathtub rings by locking up the calcium and magnesium in the water. •Maltol - used for enhancing flavors and aromas, which is odd in an "unscented" soap•Titanium Dioxide - gives the soap a white color

So there's already some highly questionable stuff in that bar. Compare that to a handmade soap bar:

The castile soap is going to be the mildest soap that you can use. It's not going to have a huge amount of fluffy bubbles, but it's going to get you clean without adding any nasty chemicals or preservatives. I would highly recommend castile for acne or excema.

This may sound ridiculous, but make sure he actually knows how to wash his face. Gish had terrible skin growing up. I mean awful. His mom took him to the doctor, to the dermatologist, they tried everything there was to try. Imagine her shock when we went to visit one day and he says, “I don’t think I really knew how to wash my face right until about a year ago.” He had to have been at least 24 years old by then! I think his mom and I both had our mouths hanging open.

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The easiest, least expensive, and most effective acne treatment I have ever found is just plain old baking soda and water.

Dampen face, sprinkle some baking soda in your hand, add a bit of water if needed, gently scrub, rinse well, moisturize. You can also use a face cloth, but a clean one should be used every single time.

This method also works well on body acne. You can use baking soda alone or sprinkle it on a lathered poof.

I second the suggestion that you make sure he knows how to properly wash his face...a surprising number of people do not. Also, make sure he keeps his hands off his face during the day.

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My 14 year old (well, in 10 days he'll be 14, anyway) son swears by liquid Irish Spring body wash. He puts it on a regular wash rag and cleans his face and body with it. He has really bad back/arm/chest acne as well. He started using Irish Spring about 4 months ago. His acne problems are just about as bad as they can get, and using the Irish Spring has really worked a miracle. He still has a few zits, but only a few here and there, not the massive, never ending zit from his face down to his waist.

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Don't experiment with home remedies. To tell if certain things are effective takes several weeks or more and with each week that goes by the scarring can slowly become worse over the years of trying to remedy something at home. Take your son to a derm and head this issue off with something that is clinically proven to work.

I have clients that spend many thousands to get rid of the scars left behind from years of acne because their parents were insistent "you don't go to the Dr for a few pimples". Chemical peels, laser resurfacing, fillers are tedious, expensive and uncomfortable so nip this in the bud and save your son a potential face full of scars.

No one knows who will scar and who won't but I do know that over the years untreated or experimentally treated at home acne can sometimes leave the skin in a horrible, disfigured condition.

Last but not least clear healthy skin is always something that will help a teenager feel less self conscious as they go through adolescence.

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My to-go remedy is Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask. I discovered this 2 years ago, and it's my miracle. My teen son also started on it, and the zits on his face went away as well.

I hardly ever use it as a mask (too strong), but I do use it as a cleanser every other day. I think it is the only cleanser that has 3.5% benzoyl peroxide, which is gentle enough for my skin but still keeps it clear. I also use baking soda to exfoliate every other time. I make sure to use a gentle lotion (Vanicream Lite) afterwards to combat the dryness.

The one thing I found that really worked, through the entire slew of prescription remedies and OTC remedies and home remedies...was something I could only find at Walgreens. Unfortunately I don't remember the brand name, just that I think it had three words, the stuff was Pepto-Bismol pink, a two-part liquid/paste that you shook to mix before using, and it smelt rather awful - if anyone has any idea can you please remind me? Walgreens' website search is down, I can't find it...

It does mean you've got to run about with pink patches all over your face (you leave it on overnight, but it really does work!

Also very, very good for lighter acne, like I've got now, is the Aveeno "Calming Naturals" line and the "Clear Complexion" sensitive skin pads. It may be worth giving those a try; they're certainly not going to hurt anything!

(ETA: I found it! It's Bye Bye Blemish drying lotion - it's salicylic acid, which is why I liked it so much; benzoyl peroxide does very bad things to my skin. And I remembered wrong, you don't shake it - you just dip a Q-tip in the pink stuff. My bad...)

« Last Edit: May 07, 2013, 12:33:11 AM by Liliane »

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